PGA Tour: Who Will Be the Next American to Win a Major Championship?

The last American to win a major was Phil Mickelson at the 2010 Masters. Actually, that's true even if you are someone who calls the Players Championship "The Fifth Major," as Mickelson's 2007 triumph was the last time an American won that tournament. 

But back to the official majors, five have passed since Mickelson won his fourth Green Jacket.

With Tiger Woods' injuries and personal issues obviously hurting his game and Mickelson (and other stalwarts of the last decade) showing signs of aging, the picture created by the American golf scene is far from pretty.

Still, nine Americans are in the Top 20 in the world rankings, including both Woods and Mickelson. The picture may not be as pretty as it was when they were consistently the best two players in the world, but it's not bad. At least, it doesn't need to be that bad.

So, the question is, which American will break the drought? And when will it happen?

Well, the next major is the British Open, which is being played at Royal St. George's. The last time it was there was 2003. The tournament was won by an American, Ben Curtis.

If history repeats itself, it could be literally any American in the field. Curtis was ranked No. 396 in the world that week.

While something like that certainly could happen again, it's not likely. Actually, to the naked eye, it doesn't look like an American will win this one either.

The top three golfers in the world are Englishmen Luke Donald and Lee Westwood and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who would all have a distinct home course advantage.

McIlroy in particular looked unbeatable at the US Open. If he keeps that form, he will be very tough to beat, regardless of nationality.

But beyond McIlroy running away from the field again, the American future is not that bleak.

For one, Americans, even those not named Woods, have a decent history at the British Open. Stewart Cink and Tom Watson did battle in 2009. Woods won in 2000, 2005 and 2006. Todd Hamilton won in 2004, Curtis in 2003 and David Duval in 2001.

But if it is to happen here, who will it be?

The last time the Open was at Royal St. George's, the winning score was -1. If it's at that level or worse, look out for a guy like Steve Stricker. He'll have a problem winning in a tournament that goes too low, but if it's right around par, his play should go a long way towards contending.

A similar thing could be said about Jim Furyk. He can survive a tough field, but don't expect him to go too low.

The exact opposite is true for Dustin Johnson. He can go low with anyone but will be more likely to struggle in a tougher tournament.

Hunter Mahan can win anything if his short game isn't too much of a liability.

Fellow Oklahoma State Cowboy Rickie Fowler seems to be on his way to stardom, but he needs to win a tournament to be seen as a viable major threat.

The other two "Golf Boys," Ben Crane and Bubba Watson don't have a great history at British Opens. Crane's T11 in 2006 was the only time either have made the cut there.

Sean O'Hair is probably not as bad a bet as people may think. Yes, his star has faded a bit in recent years, but he has never missed a cut at the British Open. In 2010, he put up his best performance ever with a T7.

One of the guys he was tied with was Nick Watney, who may be the best American bet. Watney has won this year, tied O'Hair for the low-American title last year, and seems capable of winning any kind of major.

Watney's history at the British Open is limited, but he's three for three in cuts made.

Mickelson's history at the British Open is nowhere near strong enough to consider him a favorite right now. As for Woods, we don't even know if he'll play. Of course, if he does, he can win, but it's far from likely.

The next American major winner may not come at the British Open. If it does, it may not be a guy who I have named. But of this group, Watney is the most solid choice.

Can he miss the cut? Of course. Just don't expect it.